TUESDAY FAN FICTION REPORT - 5/12/98
[Previous report was for 5/10/98]

Hi guys,

The very talented folks at the WHOOSH Web site have recently launched a fantastic virtual chat environment called THE PALACE which will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, May 16 at 10pm Eastern Standard Time. Lots of events are planned including one which should be of particular interest to all you fanfic aficionados - THE ACADEMY OF BARDS, which is one of the rooms in The Palace, will be hosting poetry and fan fiction readings by some of our favorite bards. The event will be hosted by a favorite of many herself, DJWP, author of the unforgettable A BARD DAY'S NIGHT and the recent hit WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OFF?.

Mark your calendars for May 16 and make sure to drop by THE PALACE and THE ACADEMY OF BARDS at 10pm EST. If you plan on being there visit THE PALACE Web page *prior* to May 16 so you can read the instructions on how you'll be able to participate in the event which DOES require special software you will have to download. THE PALACE is at: http://whoosh.org/palace/index.html

Tonight we have a couple of new ones and also the return to the Web of two stories which had been unavailable for a while. MANY THANKS to the bards and Webmasters involved for bringing those stories back to us.

GENERAL FICTION:

BERRIES by Cat
A poignant hurt/comfort tale which begins with Xena and the bard getting separated after a fierce skirmish Injured Gabrielle then sets out to try to find her partner, determined to keep a brave front both in front of the stoic warrior and the two old friends which end up joining them. This is a nicely dramatic effort with a great sense or camaraderie among the friends and solid sense of caring in the Xena/Gab dynamics.
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~pres0049/Berries.html

HISTORY CAST IN AMBER by Lara Zielinsky
Originally released in August 1997 and now once again available, this is a long and simply *SPECTACULAR* story which begins as a seemingly simple tale with Xena and Gabrielle on a mission to stop an army of slavers led by an ex-lieutenant of the Warrior Princess. They will be joined by another figure from Xena's past but as the struggle against the slavers begins a dark god will make his presence known - a god who having owned Xena's heart once will do anything to try to recapture it - dismissing in his zest, the determination of a young bard to protect the friend she loves or the lengths to which she'll go for the warrior. Covering some of the most crucial moments in the lives of Xena and Gabrielle and shedding light on the secrets which will form the basis of their legend for ages to come, this story is exceptionally well-crafted, depicting a friendship worthy of the greatest of sacrifices and a nobility of spirit capable of humbling even the gods on Mt. Olympus. An exceptional tale which I VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!
http://members.aol.com/lzclotho/genfic/hcia1.htm

THE INNOCENCE OF WAR by Arianwen P.F. Everett
Part 11 of this story is now available. This intriguing tale has Ares trying to convince the Fates to help him fight Dahok when an unexpected event changes the lives of a certain Warrior Princess and bard along with his own. In this part, Xena forges an unusual alliance. A nicely original plot.
http://xenafiction.net/scrolls/innocence_of_war_1.html

ALTERNATIVE FICTION:

SHOW AND TELL: THE SEQUEL by Suzar
Suzar WISELY ;-) keeps her promise by offering us this wonderful little continuation to SHOW AND TELL which begins right where the first story left off...and aren't we glad >:) This time around warrior and bard get to play with their new acquisition... YOU on the other hand should have will-power and avoid reading this at work. Remember I warned you! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
https://ausxip.com/fanfic2/showandtell2.html

TO BE A WOMAN by DelShannon
After a short absence from the Web, Del Shannon's first-ever XWP fanfic offering returns with the first ten chapters now available again. TO BE A WOMAN is a promising hurt/comfort story that has Gabrielle thinking about her feelings for Xena just as an attack intensifies these, reminding her of how much she loves the warrior. Unbeknownst to the two of them - an old enemy has seen what they themselves have yet to admit and now knows Xena's greatest weakness. [Note: this story features extreme violence]
http://whoosh.org/katrina/STO/tbaw/delsh.html

For those of you reading this post who are not familiar with the term alternative (alt.), it refers to ADULT stories that add a romantic element to the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle, depicting them as more than just friends.

Happy reading!

Lunacy 8-)